Hoop-stretching device



W. B. GILBERT.

HOOP STRETCHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION .HLED AUG 2l,1920.

132L935, Patented July 4, 1922.

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WALKER B. GILBERT, OF LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA.

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1&211935.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1922.

Application filed August 21, 1920. Serial No. 405,109.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALKER B. GILBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoop-Stretching Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hoop stretchingdevices, and, more particularly to a type thereof adapted for stretching the head or end hoops of tobacco hogsh'eads after the head of the latter has been properly positioned in the end'of the same.

The primary object of the invention is to provide for a device of the character mentioned, and one involving extreme simplicity and durability and construction and ar rangement as wellasease in application and operation.

A further'object of the inve'nton is to provide for a device of the type set forth,'and one of comparatively inexpensive construction, and in which, the parts thereof are interchangeable in form to admit of the quick replacement of parts in case of breakage and wear. 7

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in, the certain novel construction and arrangement of parts as willjbe hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which i Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device as applied tothe end of a barrel or hogs- "hea'd, andshowing its mode of operation,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same as in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

,fti'on of a barrel or hogshead, or other similar container made up of staves and other- WlSe involving the use of encircling securing bands or hoops, and the numeral 2 indicates one of the said securing bands or hoops and preferably that one of the latter encircling the staves immediately adjacent the ends of the barrel oihogshead] The stretching device comprises a clamp frame consisting of a bar 10 curved on the arc of a circle to adapt the same 'to the curvature of a barrel or hogshead, and a pair of spaced, substantially inverted 'U- shaped clamping elements or hooks 11, which have one leg suitably secured to the bar 10,01, if desired, formed integrally with the latter, and which areadapted to be fitted over the edge of the wall of the barrel or hogshead,in a manner to retain one end portion of the hoop 2 between the outer face of the barrel or hogshead and the inner face of the bar 1O, the adjacent free end of the hoop 2, as at '3, projecting for a short distance to one side of the bar 10, as shown. A clamp screw -12 is threaded into an opening in one of the clamping hooks and the bar, and, when operative, has its inner end contacting the opposed face of the hoop so as to firmly hold the latter and the clamp frame, as awhole, against slippage during the stretching operation.

Immediately adjacent one of the-clamping hooks 11 is secured, to the outer face of the bar 10, one leg 13 of a substantiallyL-shaped bracket which has the other of its legs 14 projecting outwardly from the ,bar 10 at right angles to the same and to "the leg 13. Itis to be here noted that that right handed clamp hook may be separately secured to the bar 10, as shown, or. the same may readily be formed integrally with the leg'13 of the bracket member as may be desired.

Formed with and atone side of the leg 14 of the bracket'are a pair of vertically spaced ears 15 which are provided with aligned openings to receive the upperand lower trunnions 16 of a bearing block 17 the latter being disposed in alignment with and centrally of an opening 18 formed in the leg 14:, in a plane medially between the cars '15.

Threaded through an opening formed in the bearing block 17 and projecting through 'the opening 18 in the leg 14, of the bracket, "for adistance to either side thereof is a main screw or stretcher rod 19, which terminates at one of it's-ends, preferably its right handed end as shown, in a substantially U-shaped .yoke or fork 20, into which is received the adjacent end of a clamp plate 21, whereby t'o provide a swivel or hinged joint connection block 17 when operated to feed the screw 7 stretcher rod backward and forward therethrough.

The clamp plate 21 is formed with or has secured thereon an enclosed clamping yoke or member 23 which is adapted to receive the free end 4 ofthe securing band or hoop 2, and a clamp or set screw 24: is threaded through the outer Wall of the yoke or member 23 in a manner to securely hold the hoop end within the yoke, when its inner end is forced into Contact with the same for such purpose.

With the parts assembled as described, and the device applied to the end of a barrel or hogshead as shown in the drawing, it will be readily apparent that the hoop end 3, contacting the, outer wall of the barrelor hogshead, will be securely held against all possibleslippage, and that, when the intermediate portion of the hoop has been properly positioned in its encircling relation around the-barrel or hogshead, and its end 4 engaged inthe yoke 23, upon the manipulation of the hand wheel 22, any amount of stretching maybe done to the hoop within the range. of the threaded end of the screw stretching rod'19,the hoop ends '3 and 4: being held in aligning and overlapping relation, so that the securingor fastening devices may be applied tosecure the hoop, in its entirety, ,tothe barrel or hogshead, while under tension, without further manipulation of the device, or disturbing it in any way, or moving from its original position.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that the invention provides for an extremely simple device in construction, application and operation, as well as one, in the use of which, maximum efliciency'and results are to be obtained.

' It is well understood that various changes in size and detail of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withthe invention. V V 1 Having thus fully described my invention, whatl claim is v 1 1. Ina device of the class described, means out departing from the spirit and scope of conformable to the curvature of the side wall of a barrel for clamping: one end-of a hoopin position thereon, means for securing said firstmentioned means in position, and means associated with said first-mentioned means r013 engaging: the other end of the hoop and stretching the latter prior to the securing of the same tothe. wallof the barrel.

.2. In .a device of the class described, rneans engageablewith the peripheral wall pf abarrel for. clamping one end of a hoop n'position thereon, means for-retaining said firstmentioned means, inoperative position.

fnle ns associated with said first mentioned nieansffor engaging the other '6I1(l of the hoop 1n overlapping relation with respect to the clamped end thereof, and means for manipulating sa1d last-mentioned means for stretching the hoop" prior to the securing of of the hoop, and means for manipulating' said last-mentioned means for stretching the hoop, said means being adapted to hold the adjacent hoop ends in aligning and overlapping relation, after the stretching operation, subject to the application of fastenings to secure the hoop permanently-in position on the wall of the barrel. v Y 7 I 4. In a device of the class described, a curved clamping member adaptedto beon the side wall of a barrel and to engage one end of an encircling hoop, means adapted to be engaged over the end edge of the barrel for retaining said clamping member in position, a clamping clement adapted to engage the other end of the hoop and hold the same in aligningrelation with respectto the firstmentioned end thereof, and meansnfor macling the barrel aclamping element carried by said barand adapted to engage theother end of the hoop and hold the same in aligning relation with the clamped endof the 11001), and means for manipulating said clamping elementv for stretching the hoop and to draw the adjacent, ends thereof into overlapping relation and-to hold the same in position subject to the application-of fastenin s to secure thehoo ermanentl in osi tion on the wall of the barrel; V

,6. In a device of the class described, a bar ,curved toconform to, the:contour. of a barrel,

clamping members: carried by said bar and adapted to be engaged overthe end edge of the barrel to hold the bar ,in'- aligning contact with aportionof one. end ofa hoop enciricling the barrel, a-clamping element carried by-said banand adapted to engage, the other end of the hoop andhold'the same in aligning relation with theiclampedendfofthe hoop, and screw operated meansformanipudating said clamping element forv stretching.

the hoop and to draw the adjacent ends ,with a portion of one end of'aboop encirthereof into overlapping relation and to hold the same in position subject to the application of fastenings to secure the hoop permanently in position on the wall of the barrel.

'7. In a device of the class described, a clamping frame curved to conform to the contour of a barrel and adapted to be en gaged over the end edge of the latter and to retain one end of a hoop in position against the outer wall of the barrel, a stretching rod carried by said frame, a clamping element carried by said stretching rod and adapted to engage the free end of the hoop, and means for manipulating said stretching rod for stretching the hoop and to draw the adjacent ends thereof into overlapping relation and to hold the same in position subject to the application of fastenings to secure the hoop permanently in position on the wall of the barrel.

8. In a device of the class described, a

clamping frame curved to conform to the contour of a barrel and adapted to be engaged over the end edge of the latter and to retain one end of a hoop in position against the outer Wall of the barrel, a bracket carried by said clamping frame, a bearing block trunnioned in said bracket, a stretching rod threaded in said bearing block, a clamping element adapted to engage the free end of the hoop and having a swivel connection with one end of said stretching rod, and a hand wheel for manipulating said stretch ing rod for stretching the hoop and to draw the adjacent ends thereof into overlapping relation and to hold the same in position subject to the application of fastenings to se cure the hoop permanently in position on the wall of the barrel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WALKER- B. GILBERT. 

